A Stretch Into Sapience or Bodhi Beautitude

Dont let the title fool you. Im definately not enlightened or a sage. But I had the slightest of revelations that sort of through me off kilter, back into the flow. Im back on track, although I dont know where I am going

This week was arduous and a blessing. On Sunday night my mind was working overtime. I was thinking of the future (as always) and what to do, stay in Tainan, stay at my current job, stay in Taiwan or move to Tokyo. If I want to move to Japan as some sort of metaphor of getting to a new destination internally. What am I looking for? What is best for Z and what is best for me and realize how I have been sacrificing the past 3 years living in Tainan for her. I prayed for wisdom, for clarification for some sort of message of direction and peace of mind.


The next morning it was swiftly answered. I put on some Joseph Prince on my new stereo and immediately he said it doesn’t matter what country you live in if you live in the city or country, or what job or education, we are blessed w/every spiritual blessing. The blessing is on me, not what I do or where I am and I knew it was God talking to me and it calmed me down. I was settled in my heavenly position, seated above all principalities. And I realized I have been closing blessings from flowing into my life because I am seeking the unknown future. I had this enormous epiphany that if I just remain, rest in the blessed state of knowing NOW that circumstantially I am blessed no matter what, then things will start flowing. It really is that Bjork song “All is full of love.” It hit me that if I just stay in this moment which is the Ultimate Reality, then all the things that are not right will (eventually) be made right. Powerful stuff. I had to reign my mind back constantly through the week, but it was such a powerful experience. Like having hope w/o giving my heart away to be hurt in the process. Enjoying the present without the expectations from my excessive imaginations, yet expecting everything to be made right if I just remain Here, in my rightful place.

I had a great week, ‘tho I stayed up too late every night strumming the guitar and waking early (5 or 6) coz I’m on farmer time all the time. I unleashed torrent of pent up (sexual) energy in my dance class Wednesday, finishing our cool down in a pool of my own ecstatic sweat. Now I’m tired from the end of the week, from Turbulence Training today at lunch and will hit the hay early. Get ready for camping w/kids tomorrow.

I had the strangest dream before I woke this morning. I was at some hot springs and was putting on my swim suit w/o paying attention. When I was walking to the pool I noticed what I was wearing. This sort of Catwoman/Vampire, black, leather swimsuit that had this gigantic Dracula collar. It was more fabric then ‘Id like to wear in the water. I told Z “I can’t wear this! Where is my old swimsuit?” I feel like the dream means that when I get to a vulnerable place (partially nude in public in this case), I still have some kind of armor or people’s impression of me is this kind of dark, sinister power, maybe as a kind of unconscious protection. Maybe it was something to do w/my own Shadow. But since the past few months I feel like I am a snake shedding its skin, being renewed inside and out, having slightly more awareness of my own inner workings. I haven’t been able to do this alone. I just wonder where it will take me (d’och I’m doing it again).

Summer Soujourn

 
 With the parting of summer and somewhat cooling climate, its only fitting I reap the harvests of my summer journey both outer and inner, they somehow reflect each other. It began in May, going to Kenting with friends and staying in an opulent resort in the mts. Cabins and pools, kids playing, wine at night, me addicted to archery.




Then in June, spending Dragon Boat weekend in Green Island.
Camping beside a rocky coral cove beside a dramatic cliff wall, lush black sky full of milky stars, a primordial fire to watch us while we slept, then recovering in the rare sea water hot springs.


Salt water hot springs



 In July we spent 14 days in the Malaysian peninsula and ending in Singapore. I met 2 wonderful men I had a kind of connection with, whom I’m still in contact with. The first a Syrian in KL, who is doing some rare stones trading between Sri Lanka and Dubai who is now trying to get a Taiwanese visa to come visit. The other a roving Irishman I met in a bus to Cherating, where we stayed and traveled down to Singapore together. He did come for a short visit just last weekend here in Tainan and hopefully will return before Christmas.

Pulau Pankgor



I am well acquainted with my own company and don’t mind being alone, but one night in Pulau Pangkor,  I had this excruciating experience. I was so utterly lonely and so acutely aware of it. It was so incredibly painful, a piercing rawness that this night, it was as if the Universe held an enormous galactic mirror up to me. I thought I might burst into tears right there on the paradise beach where all the European holidayers where having dinner with their families watching the pink sunset. I never felt so odd and out of place before, even the monkeys were pointing their fingers at me. To slightly make up for it, I was blessed the next day with a free snorkeling trip to a nearby coral island, by a local, who gave me enough attention and was still a gentleman. Still,  I was recovering from the previous night, of being slammed by the accumulative past 5 years of being independent, being alone, all of it overwhelmed me like karmic avalanche.

So we headed back to the mainland to the other side of the peninsula to Kota Bharu. The difficulty of the travel, waiting for buses hours late, crowded buses w/o seats or AC, night buses w/o sleep, filled that space. Then the magic of traditional Malay culture a few days in Kota Bharu strengthened my spirit. Soon, I met a kindred spirit again, as a kind of blessing. The easy togetherness also threw off my equilibrium, I got used to it, so did Z. I realized I need other people to be my sledgehammer and break through my walls, the illusion of being this strong, independent, single mom.
 
Traveling solitary its like this dance of being alone for a while, which is fine, because its so temporary, then I meet up with lovely company and I certainly did in Malaysia. If that Malayisa/Singapore trip taught me anything, its there is this wide world outside of Tainan full of available, single men of quality (there were some nice Frenchmen along the way too I'll briefly mention).


Singapore Zoo



Universal studios, Singapore

In August, me and some Taiwanese friends went to Alishan. They organized everything. It was like a pilgrimage to this ancient cypress forest with 2000 year old trees, a gorgeous sunset, waking for sunrise, hiking in clouded tea terraces, great food, happy kids, coming home tired and happy.


In early September, for Moon Festival's 3 day weekend, Z and I took a weekend to Guanshan to see the blooming Daylillies in the East Rift Valley in Taiwan's East Coast. Later in September, I met up with an old friend from my Taipei days a decade ago and we went camping in a farm in Kenting. BBQ, more wine, great company, our kids, her great husband, great fun in finding this past friendship and picking up where we parted. I felt lucky. Then, recovering in the Pingtong hot springs, the original Japanese structure, hinting of October.

In October for 10/10 holiday, I took an extra day off and flew to Tokyo for a 4 day stint. Autumn was just beginning to breath her first breaths into this phenomenal city. Z and I didn’t want to come back to Taiwan and even now I’m considering moving to Tokyo in a year or two if I can wait. I know what neighborhood I’d like to live in more or less. There is so much to see, so much under the surface, calling out to me, “explore me, stay here.” The magical part is I had no desire to even go to Japan until like a month ago, and now I can’t get Japan out of my dreams. I simply liked looking at the faces. The people bent over backwards to help me, locals went out of their way to make me stay. Tokyo is this paradox of ancient medieval Endo with uber-modernism, the bustle of crowds on their way, belaying an inner gentleness. There is this gentleness and then you sense this hidden cruelness. I can’t put my finger on it, especially after only 4 days, but I’m hooked.

I’ve been to a lot of countries, exchanged in many courtesies ad currencies but only a handful of places sort of grabbed me, beckoned me to linger a while. After 2 years of working around Western Europe, Galway totally conquered me. I couldn’t leave, I grieved when I had no way to stay there permanently, legally. Guatemala, I was there all 90 days of my visa and mourned leaving. I’d probably be living in Kashmir and married to a Kashmiri if it was more stable. Now after living in Tainan 3 years, 5 years total in Taiwan, I feel that itch again. Ok I admit when we went to KL I exclaimed I could live in KL too (I could, Z could continue her Mandarin, and I could have my piece of Indian culture). So who knows?


Z’s stability, and continuing her Mandarin is paramount. I just feel like the poetic eagle, phoenix being reborn and itching to spread her wings. If that means growing in a new territory, moving, or staying in Tainan and having this inner journey, remains to be lived out.

Protesting the Protesters

I noticed there is this undercurrent of critical animosity against the Wall St protesters coming from the co called ”Free Thinkers.” Its good to question the arguments and facts, long may the truth have a voice and prevail. But I cant help but be disturbed. The tea party backlash is to be expected, but some of my colleagues/peers/friends who in their own way delegitimize the Wall St protesters or confuse the message, I cant help but feel disturbed. Amazing what shit rises to the top once the pot starts being stirred.

Going around Facebook were various wall posting being shared, one that said the picture of the protesters was highly doctored and falsely portraying the sheer number of protesters. The other was of a male protesters texting a suggestive Twit, with the caption being something akin to “corporate greed made it possible to Tweet your protest you stupid protester.” I liked it because its true to an extent and I shared it myself, but felt guilty that I was perpetrating the confusion of the protest movement’s message.

So I ask myself, why the backlash? And who are these “free thinkers”? Of my peers, they all happen to be male and white. I think they must be closet Republicans (elitists in their chrysalis morphing into their true nature, due to emerge ugly classist moths) or they on some level are being confronted with their own privilege and either freaking about it or are too coward to acknowledge their privilege and why their lives are still so shitty. That sounds too harsh, perhaps its how they deal with the let down of the so-called American Dream. There are a lot of great reading out there on the subject and I came across this article “Panic of the Plutocrats” on the plane back from Tokyo (sounds so cool to say just let me have this one) and thought it eloquently stated my thoughts exactly.

The most recent FB post (from another white male again) was in support of the 1%! He said somethine like, Quit bitching about the 1%! They went to work today. They didn't sit around in a park smoking refer, banging on drums, bitching about student loans that they themselves signed for, or defecating on police cars. I want to join the 1%!" Shocking. I didnt know how to respond but I couldnt let it go and for lack of words posted something about Vets in support of the protesters (he's ex-Marine).

Interesting times! Support Democracy and Curb Capitalism.

Of Sheltered Princes and Princesses

 Today at work, my class along w/the other kindy and preschool classes took an all day field trip to a nearby farm .Everyone arrived early and was excited. There were caged goats to feed, chickens and fighting roosters, water rockets, a wading pool with dirty water. It was fun. There was a butterfly garden with several butterflies (we’ve seen better on other farm field trips), a spiky shelled turtle and bunnies.

Water bottle rockets

Some observations: Several of the kids in my class were afraid of butterflies. I had 2 girls wrapped like mini spidermen on each leg. Some of the other children in my class were afraid to feed the goats, who were caged. Ok they are 4 years old but really I couldn’t believe how “sheltered” these city folk are, and this is Tainan, a provincial town by most Taiwanese and Im not exactly country folk myself, more suburbanite, but really! I recall a childhood of catching lizards (I was a lizard farmer in my fantasy) and grasshoppers. (Where have all the grasshoppers gone? Fa, la, la, all the GMO plants and insecticides, Fa, La, la,….

It all came to a sad culmination when we gathered around a bucket of mud and the teenage worker (volunteer?) proceeded to demonstrate how to play with mud. He started his introduction by saying, ”in your grandparents day, they didn’t have toys so they played with mud.” He showed them how to make a mud pie with a hole in it and throw it against the ground. I felt really old and really grateful. I recall getting brown in the sun as my mom let me and Andy play with mud for an afternoon all summer and we made mud pies, cakes, soufflés, burritos, no instruction needed. I asked my younger coworker who was American if she played with mud (I needed some agreement that making mud pies as a kid is in fact NORMAL and these wonderful kids are lacking) and she didn’t of course.

Whenever I get near goats no ones knows the flood of memories and emotions that seethes my deep internal places. How I was worked to the bone for 7 months as a WOLFER in Ireland once when I was 21. I literally woke at 3am 7 nights for 7 months and took care of 360 milking Nubians and 100 non-milkers in 165 acres in Co Cork where the Blackwater River flows to the sea (Yougall, on the border of Cork near Dungarven). There was another WOLFER Claire but she left me after a few month (she was there longer before I got there). I love goats, they’re quite affectionate and smart and have their own personality. When I get near goats I physically hurt and feel heart ache. I left that farm (my bosses were Namibian Germans) and vowed if I EVER work THAT hard again it was going to be for myself. It was educational, I know how to care for goats and make apple cider (they had an apple orchard), along with goat cheeses and yogurt. Since then I’ve had this fantasy of when I do ever settle down somewhere , I will get me a couple of goats….Oh the stories I could tell of being a goat herder! (We had 60 sheep too, but they got on my nerves, I had no patience for their stupidity, ‘tho I pitied them).

Ok kids are sheltered here, Z is 5 and still not comfortable riding her bike on the street or rollerblading. (We were popping wheelies at 5 I roller-skated at 3 or 4). Taiwanese kids don’t get much outdoor play time, they don’t have these long luscious summer vacations, or a backyard (their houses go vertically where ours have a circumference of front and back yard. The majority of my students don’t go to the park. Parents are working or don’t see the point. In that respect my school is indeed providing the kids with a good, all around, education.


We made some traditional rice steamed buns filled with red bean paste. These are made of mashed rice flour colored red and after the red bean paste is added is pressed with a stamp. My kids used a turtle shape (symbolic of a long life) which is traditionally eaten on the first day of Chinese New Year. They places them on a leaf and the old gran steamed them. They had a semi edible keepsake of their day on the farm.

Every place has its good and bad, kids are sheltered here, my kids dont like their hands to be dirty, DIRTY, they freak if they are sticky or yucky for more than 30 seconds, but they dont have to fear about some crazy NRA dude with a gun and no health insuance for his psych meds to go Rambo in their school. Just some thoughts before I call it a day.

The Tokyo Plan

Tokyo itinerary

I was originally concerned that accommodation would be outrageously expensive but after alot of research found decent prices places (1800NT range) some places that wouldnt charge me extra for a kid. The best bet for my money was an awesome located backpacker party place for 4000yen a night, double w/bath. But I dont want a party vibe and opted for a place NW in Ikebukuro, a traditional Ryokan, same prices for single no attached bath, but traditional japanese bath tub for all guests. Im so excited!  There are so many places to experiences in and around the Tokyo area, I sort of been fantasizing moving there. I never had this strong fascination w/Japanese culture before, not until recently, I can't explain why.


Sat: Tainan Highspeed at 8:30am to Taoyan International airport, check in at 10:50am, 12:50 departure CX450. Arrive at Narita: 17:10 flight

Keisei Honson Express to Nappori (1000yen), then to Ikebukuro (160yen). Or (1200yen) change to Ikebukuro Keisei Narita sky Access from Narita o Nappori (160yen) then to Ikebukuro (160yen). Check in at kimiryokan. Night + dinner around Ikebukuro.

Sunday: Asakusa (Sensōji Temple), lunch Waentei-Kikko 12:15 performance

Harajuku on Sundays(where the locals come out to play - in costumes), Yoyogi Park (buskers & rockabilly Japanese- truly bizarre +Meiji Jingu (one of the most important shrines in Tokyo), Omotesando (shopping & great architecture). Walk to Shinjuku.

Shinjuku: Shinjka Gyoen Gardens (picnic) + dusk at TMGB (closes at 7pm). Metropolitan Govt. Building, have a mocha in Starbucks and watch the hordes cross the intersection in front of the station (Hachiko exit),

Monday: Nikko? Or Kamakura? I just read a post on LP's Thorntree that the UNESCO's world heritage sites in Nikko are all under reconstruction for the next few years and mostly under scaffolding so Im thinking of skipping Nikko ) : and checking out Aizuwakamatsu for some autumn splendor.

Tuesday: early am Tsukiji (Tsukiji- Shijo station), walk to Shiodome at 11 ADMT (46th-47th floor Caretta shiodome) walk to Palace Higashi-Gyoen - The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace (Tokyo Station)

check out and leave for Narita: 12:30

Flight at: CX 451 , check in 2 pm 15:55 departure, arrive Taipei 18:30, highspeed  it back to Tainan, work the next day (big sigh)

LINKS

http://www.tokyoessentials.com/free.html

http://www.kimiryokan.jp/facilities.html%20++%20(no%20extra%20charge%20for%20child%204000%20p/night)

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2014_when.html

http://www.crowdedworld.com/japan/hotelminowa.html

http://wikitravel.org/en/Tokyo/Taito

http://www.traveltokyo.info/Hotels.Taito%20less%20than%20Yen%205,000.html

http://hotel.tokyogigguide.com/asakusa.html#asakusa

http://www.tokyohostels.com/tokyo-hostel-faq.php

http://www.juyoh.co.jp// ++

http://www.newkoyo.jp/index.html ++ (single 2300 yen p/night +500 yen extra for child)

http://www.sawanoya.com/ (charge extra 1050 yen for child)

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ab-gojapan&tid=612

http://www.toukaisou.com/

http://hotelink.co.jp/english/

http://www.tokyo.hostel.com/%20bAkpak%20Tokyo%20Hostel%20(no%20extra%20charge%20for%20kid)%20small%20single%20w/fridge,%20bath,%204000yen%20p/night)

http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/tourists/guideservice/guideservice/index.html

http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/tourists/guideservice/volunteer/index.html

http://skybus.jp/explains/index/00033

http://tokyo-tokyo.com/tokyo_shrines.htm

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm

Catching up in Kenting

My dear friend Monica and I reconnected after 11 years (good friends can do that sort of thing). We worked together at Kid Castle in Chu Wei, Tamsui once upon a time. Thanks to Facebook she found me and when she saw I was in Tainan, contacted me—she too had moved south to Tainan County, living near the Science Park. We met at the Julius Mannich Merchant House, turned restaurant, for a dunkel and some sausage, catching up, her husband Roger watching the kids (my daughter and her son) while we chatted, then went out for dinner later. We made vows to go camping together in the near future.


After a few weeks we made plans. On Friday straight after work, Z and I took a local train 2 stops north (cheapest train I ever took, 15NT a ticket) and they picked us up. We went shopping at Carrefore for the BBQ and I spent a 1000NT on wine and meats, shrimps. That Friday we had a late dinner and she and I caught up over a bottle of burgundy and cheese.

 The next morning we made our way down south towards Kending, stopping at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA) on our way. It was my 3rd time there, by 2ndtime this year, but that’s ok, Z still loved it and I got to spend time with Monica and her family. We spent the day there and then made our way to Kenting around dusk, found the farm (Kenting Tuscany resort) and started to set up camp. Well Roger set up the tents while Monica and I watched one of the workers on the farm help us get our BBQ charcoals going. Im a bit of a camp fire expert myself, but charcoals are out of my experience, Ive been a vegetarian most of my life and only recently started eating meat again. So we had another late dinner, again too much wine and I consumed too much tasty meat.

Z and I slept like rocks. They on the other hand had a terrible night, their son waking up every hour and they didn’t get to sleep til 530am. They had to put him in the car and run it, took him to 7-11 and were afraid his crying was gonna wake up all the campers (I didn’t hear him). I woke up around 6 to the sound of rain on my tent and tied my umbrella to our top opening coz the water was splashing a bit on us.


We were all moving slow and hurting that morning (except the kids) so we first went to a find a breakfast shop and then recovered most of the day in the Sichong River Hot Spring Area located at Checheng Township, Pingtong Hot springs. We went to the original Japanese Hot Springs, a hotel, with several outdoor pools, rooftop patio, Japanese style gardens, etc. They were filming a travel show with I guess famous Taiwanese travelers (Monica and everyone knew them) and people were snapping pics with their cellphones. Around 2:30 we left the pools, washed and dressed and walked around admiring some of the hotel. I saw the famous little private bath where the Japanese emperor spent his honeymoon. That hot springs was built by the Japanese Army in 1895. The private rooms were gorgeous and cost 800 NT an hour. The public pools we went to cost for me I think it was 250NT and Z’s was slightly cheaper. The water was odorless, clear, sodium carbonated.


 Emperor Hirohito honeymooned here while he was crowned prince



We dined a 5 minute walk from the Hotel. Around the corner was the infamous Big Mountain Goat restaurant serving all things goat, the specialty being goat hotpot with Chinese medicinal herbs. They had some eclectic collections of nic-naks I appreciated. The kitchen was outside across a lane in the back next to a rocky enclosure with chickens, an angry hissing goose and some turkeys all free ranging together in soon to be succulent harmony. The goats must be kept some other place. We had a few dishes along with our goat hotpot. I asked what Chinese medicinal herbs they used and I guess it’s a secret concoction.



Goat w/Chinese medicine Hot Pot specialty

Afterwards, Roger drove us back to the main highway and dropped us off at the local bus stop, making sure I got the right tickets and right bus (Ive taken the slow Pingtong bus from Kenting and that was nightmare). We parted and they intended to drive to Taitong and then on to Green Island (but a typhoon kept them in Kenting). Z and I waited 15 minutes for the 88 bus at 4:10. It took 2 hours to Kaohsiung train station (she slept most of the time) and then we took the hour train back to Tainan , reaching home at around 9pm.

Sleeping on the bus to Kaohsiung

 LINKS

http://www.travelsinasia.com/Taiwan/Anping2.html

http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002122

http://www.ktnature.com/llll/camp/4.htm

http://www.ktnature.com/

http://www.taiwanhotspring.net/eng/03_guide/02_main_a.asp?bull_id=245&taiwan_id=10


Playing w/Penguins



Z on the farm

Moon Dancing in Guanshan

For the upcoming 3 day weekend (Moon Festival/ Mid-Autumn Festival), I really wanted to go to some obscure beautiful place in Taiwan, preferably w/hots prings. Well, truthfully I wanted to go to Hualien (yes I’ve lived a total of 5 ½ years in Taiwan and still have yet to make it to the Taroko Gorge, but I have been to Green Island, Penghu, Kenting and Alishan). All the accommodation in Hualien was booked, hostel minzu, hotel, full. I knew the orange daylilies in 60 Stone Mountain were now in bloom and imagined it might soothe the soul to take a change of scene and frolic in rolling mountains, fields of orange daylilies (yummy in soup, that’s why they’re cultivated). For photos click here.


I decided to make Guanshan (關山鎮) our base camp , 40 km north of Taidong on Highway 9 in the picturesque mountain valley between 2 mountain ranges. Guanshan is well known for its flat bike paths through pastoral rice paddies and sugar cane fields. We also saw tons of water buffalos, slogging in the murky river runoffs.

I had bought a train ticket last minute a few days before our departure, which meant no seats, but I didn’t mind sitting between the carriages. Our train departed at 6:30 am for Kaohsiung and the same train continued on to Hualien (stopping at Guanshan somewhere after Taitong). I’ve taken early trains before and actually this same on when we went to Green Island via Taitong, but it was like unseen forces restrained me from making this train on time. I hit every red light (optional in Anping, but I don’t do it in the “city”). Halfway to the train station my scooter backfired a few times and died, wouldn’t restart and when it did was tediously slow (grandmas on their bicycle passed us). We finally pulled into the parking lot adjacent to the station and in my hurry the scooter fell over and all my crap spilled out. (Z calls it our transformer scooter, half scooter, half trash can.) Picked up the scooter gathered our bag and made it to the man taking tickets at the gate just as I saw our train pulling away heading south. Two more minutes maybe one and we would of made it. Well, I’ve learned by now from traveling(which is life magnified), I’m too blessed to stress,  that it all works out for the best and it did, on the next train we at least got a seat. We even had time to go home and the Anping’s morning market (my fav place to be every other Sat morning).

There was some confusion at the ticket booth, he spoke zero English and it was all my broken Mandarin and facial expressions, but we got the next train around 1030 am, no charge and a seat. At Kaohsiung we changed trains. I called the minus owner and tried to explain we missed the train and we’d arrive later (she was supposed to pick us up.) She didn’t seem to understand what I was saying, but I understood her, she said call her when I go there. I had to have my friends Vicky and Allen call her and tell her we‘d arrive at 1:45, so she would be there (impatient me didn’t want to wait.) Of course when we got there she wasn’t there and I was saying hello to every auntie for about 10 minutes and then called her and she came 5 minutes later.

The minzu’s name is宜客山莊Suitable guest mountain village, and tel: (089)810736, the address：台東縣關山鎮新福里溪埔路22-1號 No.22-1, Rd. Xipu, Sin Fu Li, Guanshan Town, Taitung County. http://ekweb.svu.com.tw/

The minsu room was cozy and roomy, with views and from the patio. Our room had a queen and single, AC, vanity, bathroom, cable, table and chairs for 1800NT a night, including breakfast ( a run to the local breakfast shop; Taiwanese style sandwiches and warm soy milk). We immediately went to the local bike rental shop (several big ones) and got an electric lazy lady for the whole weekend, for 200NT. I strained my knee the day before, squats with a barbell, plus sitting on the train immobile w/ Z on my lap, my knee was hurting. I felt guilty about being lazy as I like riding a bike, especially outside enjoying the scenery, and my daughter said, “Oh mom you just have to take it easy.” Maybe my knee was just a way to be lazy, but it was better than really damaging my knee and actually by Tuesday it was 90% better. About 10 minutes later we were hitting the trails for the remainder of the day as an afternoon storm blew in and quickly cooled everything off. Our bike was ridicules, it had a huge rectangle canopy that was useless in the rain, front basket and kid seat in the front, with this weird metal frame right in front of Z’s face (she said it didn’t bother her, she just tilted her head around it to see). It had a kickstand like a motorcycle that eventually fell off (they fixed it while we slept). But it was fun, I let Z do the power and she was tickled to believe she was really driving it, laughing, perma- smiling as we made up songs about our lazy, lady electronic bike. It reminded me of simpler times when I was a kid and my Dad used to let us do the power on his motorcycle when we rode front or when he let us steer the car when we sat on his lap.

It took about 10 minutes to check out the town of Guanshan itself, a hit and miss by car. The street parallel to highway 9 had the majority of the sites, eateries, traditional market, temples, the only English bushiban. It was getting dark so we bought some groceries (yogurt, fruit, ginger tea, noodle soup) and had a late lunch/early dinner on our veranda as it rained.

I forgot to turn off my alarm clock off on my bootleg i-phone and woke up at 5:30 to catch the tail end of the sunrise. The minus lady came at 7 with breakfast and we were off on our bike until lunch. After lunch we waited an hour for our supposed driver but he was stuck in traffic (60 Stone Mt). I didn’t mind, and had a quick power nap. He finally arrived in a massive guzzling blue van and I thought, Im not paying for that, so they called a relative w/ a taxi and for 1000NT had him drive us to Loushan waterfalls and 60 Stone Mountain (and later the other direction to the Hongye hot springs). No one would rent me a scooter w/o a license ,according to the Minsu lady, which might have been true, but I doubted it (she gets a cut from my taxi, plus I’ve rented in other parts of Taiwan before, best to deal with scooter rental people face to face). I wasn’t going to push it, Z was tired and I in my lazy mode didn’t feel like driving. It was a better decision because 60 Stone Mt, like all beautiful places in Taiwan on a holiday weekend is packed bumper, to bumper.

If you go to Loushan waterfalls, bring a swimsuit!! Had I known there would be the loveliest, cool, crystal clear pool, void of swimmers I would of worn my swim suit under my clothes. Z could hardly wait to strip to her undies and cavort like an otter. I was jealous that I couldn’t do the same, “Just take off your clothes like me Mom! “ I wish, but we weren’t in Europe. So it was enough to stand knee deep, take pictures, admire the families already beginning their BBQs on the large boulders, a boy catching crayfish for lunch. The view from the bridge there was amazing, the valley sprawling below, the indigo mountains in the late summer haze in the background. I wasn’t even aware then how majestic the waterfall was until I saw it from the nearby Volcanic mud baths. It was tall and vertical, Polynesian.

Soon we were stuck in the traffic of 60 Stone Mountain. The road was at some points so narrow that the oncoming lane would have to wait, there were no buses. The top is a relative term, because just when it seemed we arrived there was more road, more rolling hills of exploding orange. Fortunately Taiwanese like to travel in packs and so it was easy to find a piece of peace and quiet away from the hordes. We walked, took photos until the day was cooling and the sun dropping. We saw an interesting rainbow that was so low, it was actually on the daylily fields, not in the sky. Z was feeling peckish so on the way down we stopped at one of the snack stands by the crowds for some sausage stuffed with daylilies and I bought a few bags of the dried flowers as gifts. The rest of the evening we spent soaking our bones in the beautiful hot springs of Hongye. Actually it was my 2^nd time there (I was there 4 Moon Festivals ago on a staff trip), but we went so late the first time it was too dark to see the beauty around it. We admired the rising full moon from the warm, odorless, mineral pools. We had our driver stop at the local dumpling place for dinner.

On Sunday I planned on taking a local public bus from Guanshan to Wulu to admire the east end bit of the famous (and for me elusive because I’m w/o a car) South Cross Highway. The minsu lady was a riot and insisted there was only one bus and Id never make it back for my train. She was actually too much, talking loud, telling me in Chinese, “you’re not helping me” which was hilarious, she wanted me to pay another 1000 NT and hire her relative to drive me. She followed me to the bus stop and refused to let me wait in peace and got the other passengers in the conversation. Finally Z told her “why cant we just ask the driver ourselves! My mom thinks you’re annoying!” Actually I was calm, I knew this old song and dance and have been bested by the best of them (Delhi touts) and had this amazing supernatural composure to ignore her ravings. Of course there was absolutely no problem on the public bus. We were the only passengers on the way up. Z got car sick both ways (poor thing I should of bought medicine before).




The Wulu gorge was amazing, majestic vertical cliffs dropping into the wide Beinan River(卑南溪) below. The river was grey, cement colored, chalky, hence it’s name (white is bei). The road was narrow and winding and even I felt a little nauseous. I couldn’t imagine hiking down to the river to these makeshift hot springs I’d read about. Definitely not with Z and not with a bum knee, but the desire is still there. The bus passed through Wulu and onto the aboriginal Bunun town of Lidao. We had an hour to explore and found the elementary school playground with this curious mural of two traditional Bunun kids South Park style. I’m from Littleton, Colorado so the South Park reference seemed all the more personal, like a confirmation of my right for us to be there at that moment. We walked around the town admiring, the farms, the local stone cutters art and ran back to the bus surprised to find it packed w/ young indigenous on their way back to Guanshan (and presumably the big city of Taitong). Our little bus was held hostage by one young man, who was still drunk the previous night’s Moon fest activities, I’ve  been there before. I liked the way he spoke Mandarin, although I’m not sure if it was the accent from his Bunun tribe or his intoxication because he took up all the space for speaking, no one else spoke.


I had a dream the night before that the bus stop was at the red traditional gate by the market and down the street from the temple. I had no idea where the bus stop was. Turns out that’s where the bus dropped us off on the return trip and we walked across the street to the local grocery store and called the minus lady to pick us up. She did and we spent the rest of our time (2 ½ hours) chilling in the patio shade, me catch up on reading and Z doing her simple addition, taking breaks to check her work, drink some tea or share a laugh.


The train back to Kaohsiung was what I was expecting, seatless crammed between the carriages. At every stop more people got on, until when boarding passengers would just look at us, and try their look at another car. For the first hour Z and I sat on our bag, next to a nice enough young man. After an hour I couldn’t sit anymore and stood, sometimes leaning on the wall, always one hand on Z’s shoulder when the doors opened (I was afraid from al the pushing and shoving she might get knocked our the door as she as on the edge of the step.) That was part of the experience and to her credit she didn’t complain once, and stood the last hour herself, leaning on the bag (there was no room for sitting). She did ask the last couple of time if we were there yet. At Kaohsiung I bought us both seats on the fast train to Tainan and we arrived in Tainan for the first time, she yelled “hooray we’re back in Tainan!”


LINKS


Maps and info http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002123&id=R172
Hiking Mt. Guanshan http://www.taiwanese-secrets.com/guanshan.html
Biking http://www.taiwan.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=34661&ctNode=2158&mp=1004
http://www.guanshan.gov.tw/eng_page3.php
Wulu Gorge http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002123&id=14294
Taitung Hongye Hot Springs http://tour.taitung.gov.tw/en/AllInOne_Show.aspx?path=1669&guid=52228058-a2d6-41dd-bf9a-de1bdb406b46&lang=en-us